GOP lawmaker and ex-Green Beret demands briefing on deaths of Navy SEALs

Rep Mike Waltz calls for more information on mission's 'risk assessment' after SEALs went missing off coast of Somalia

Missing Navy SEALs presumed dead after mission to seize Iranian weapons

Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., joined 'Fox & Friends First' to react to the news that the search for the Navy SEALs has been called off and his take on the Biden administration's handling of Iranian aggression. 

A top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee is calling for a briefing on the deaths of two Navy SEALs during an operation to stop a shipment of weapons to Houthi rebels.

Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., a retired Army Green Beret, mourned the loss of the two special forces fighters but said he had "questions" about how the mission took place. 

"My heart breaks for the loss of these two Navy SEALs. Our country relies on the heroism of elite warriors like the Navy SEALs to conduct dangerous operations," Waltz told Fox News Digital.

NAVY IDENTIFIES 2 SEALS DECLARED DEAD AFTER GOING MISSING DURING NIGHTTIME MISSION IN ARABIAN SEA

Mike Waltz

Rep. Mike Waltz is calling for a briefing on the mission conditions that led to the deaths of two Navy SEALs. (Getty Images)

"I have questions on the risk assessment regarding the need to do the specific operation they were conducting. We must ensure that the strategy President Biden has chosen has a realistic chance of deterring Iran, so their lives were not lost in vain."

Waltz is the chairman of the Armed Services Committee’s subcommittee on military readiness. He also sits on the House committees on intelligence and oversight.

SEARCH FOR MISSING NAVY SEALS IN ARABIAN SEA CALLED OFF

He said on X on Monday, "I have a lot of questions about the planning, execution, and aftermath of this operation. As Chairman of Military Readiness, I have requested a detailed briefing."

images of two Navy SEALs

Navy Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Christopher J. Chambers and Navy Special Warfare Operator 2nd Class Nathan Gage Ingram went missing this month during a nighttime boarding mission off the coast of Somalia. (U.S. Navy)

The Navy announced earlier that day that the search and rescue mission for Navy Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Christopher J. Chambers and Navy Special Warfare Operator 2nd Class Nathan Gage had ended.

Chambers and Gage were lost at sea on Jan. 11 during a nighttime raid on a ship carrying weapons from Iran to rearm Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, the Navy said. 

EXCLUSIVE: ALLEGED QATAR SPY OPERATION SAID TO HAVE TARGETED GOP LAWMAKERS OPPOSED TO MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD

The Associated Press reported that Gage slipped and fell into the Arabian Sea while boarding the Yemen-bound vessel, and that Chambers had jumped in to save him. 

Houthi rebels

Houthi fighters staged a rally against the U.S. and U.K. strikes on Houthi-run military sites near Sanaa, Yemen, this month. (AP)

They’re the first two U.S. soldiers to die in the ongoing conflict between Houthis and the West. The Iran-backed militants have been attacking U.S. ships and other commercial ships in the Red Sea, claiming their actions are in defense of Gaza amid Israel’s war with Hamas.

The U.S. has responded with multinational coalition air strikes on Houthi positions in Yemen.

Elizabeth Elkind is a reporter for Fox News Digital focused on Congress as well as the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and politics. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Authored by Elizabeth Elkind via FoxNews January 23rd 2024